Gold
Indo-Bangla railway set for trial run
05 Sep 2023 CW Team
A senior official has disclosed that a trial run for the railway line connecting Nischintapur in Tripura to Gangasagar railway station in Bangladesh is scheduled for either September 9 or 10. Initially, this phase will involve the introduction of freight trains from Gangasagar to Nischintapur, with plans to later extend the service to Agartala station.
On August 26, P Kumaran, the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), visited the Nischintapur railway yard and conducted a meeting with representatives from the railway and IRCON, alongside officials from entities like BSF, Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), Customs, Immigration, and the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
On August 27, Kumaran, accompanied by Tripura Transport Secretary U K Chakma and railway officials, visited Gangasagar in Bangladesh to assess the actual conditions on the ground. On the same day, they performed a trial run using a gang car, travelling from Gangasagar to Nischintapur.
The official provided an update, stating, "P Kumaran, the Additional Secretary in MEA, inspected the Nischintapur railway yard and conducted a meeting with relevant officials to assess the readiness for the launch of the Indo-Bangla railway link connecting Nischintapur with Gangasagar. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is overseeing the entire process, with the goal of having a freight train operational from Gangasagar to Nishchantapur around September 9 or 10."
To facilitate the operation of freight trains, preparations are essential for customs, immigration, internet services, and security. The official added that the MEA will collaborate with the Ministry of Home Affairs to establish Customs and Immigration facilities at Nischintapur.
An IRCON official remarked, "Both construction agencies, IRCON on the Indian side and TexMaco Rail Engineering on the Bangladesh side, are ready to initiate trial runs of freight trains on the newly constructed track from Gangasagar to Agartala, tentatively scheduled for September 9 or 10." An estimated Rs 11 billion has been invested in the Indo-Bangla railway project, connecting Agartala with Gangasagar.
